Aloe lomatophylloides

Aloe lomatophylloides (Xanthorrhoeaceae) is a medicinal plant endemic to Rodrigues Island, an islet 108 km2 north east of Mauritius. Only a few individuals can be found in the natural reserves of Rodrigues Island. Phytochemical screening results have indicated that the plant contains anthraquinones and flavonoids common to other Aloes with the exception of aloesin and 2″-O-trans-p-coumaroylaloenin. The medicinal uses of A. lomatophylloides have been validated through antioxidant, antimicrobial, and neuroprotective assays. Ex situ reintroduction has been possible through the use of tissue culture techniques. A. lomatophylloides has not been studied at a molecular level. The updated research findings with respect to the phytochemistry, biological attributes, and botany of A. lomatophylloides have been documented in this chapter

Aloe tormentorii

This chapter describes the botanical and phytochemical profiles of Aloe tormentorii (Xanthorrhoeaceae), a severely threatened endemic medicinal plant from the Mauritius Islands. Leaf extracts are rich in anthraquinones, flavonoids including 4-O-p-coumaroylquinic acid (not present in other Mascarene Aloes). A. tormentorii leaf extracts have been validated for their antimicrobial, antioxidant, and neuroprotective attributes. In vitro tissue culture techniques have been successfully applied to micropropagate A. tormentorii and plantlets are now growing in several regions of the Island. The genetic profile of this species has been established by sequencing nuclear and chloroplasts genes

Evaluation of Antioxidant and Enzyme Inhibition Properties of Croton hirtus L’Hér. Extracts Obtained with Different Solvents

Croton hirtus L’Hér methanol extract was studied by NMR and two different LC-DAD-MSn using electrospray (ESI) and atmospheric pressure chemical ionization (APCI) sources to obtain a quali-quantitative fingerprint. Forty different phytochemicals were identified, and twenty of them were quantified, whereas the main constituents were dihydro α ionol-O-[arabinosil(1-6) glucoside] (133 mg/g), dihydro β ionol-O-[arabinosil(1-6) glucoside] (80 mg/g), β-sitosterol (49 mg/g), and isorhamnetin-3-O-rutinoside (26 mg/g). C. hirtus was extracted with different solvents—namely, water, methanol, dichloromethane, and ethyl acetate—and the extracts were assayed using different in vitro tests. The methanolic extracts presented the highest 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), 2,2′-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline)-6-sulfonic acid (ABTS), and ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) values. All the tested extracts exhibited inhibitory effects on acetylcholinesterase (AChE) and butyrylcholinesterase (BChE), with a higher activity observed for dichloromethane (AChE: 5.03 and BChE: 16.41 mgGALAE/g), while the methanolic extract showed highest impact against tyrosinase (49.83 mgKAE/g). Taken together, these findings suggest C. hirtus as a novel source of bioactive phytochemicals with potential for commercial development

A UHPLC-QTOF-MS screening provides new insights into the phytochemical composition and biological properties of six Consolida species from Turkey

*Çakmak, Yavuz Selim ( Aksaray, Yazar )The genus Consolida is one of the most important within the Ranunculaceae family and several members of this genus contain important biologically active compounds, such as phenolics and alkaloids. The present study attempts for the first time to assess the biological properties and phytochemical constituents of six Consolida species (C. glandulosa (Boiss. & A. Huet) Bornm, C. hellospontica (Boiss.) Chater, C. raveyi (Boiss.) Schrödinger, C. regalis (Boiss.) Schrödinger, C. staminosa P.H. Davis & Sorger and C. stenocarpa (P.H. Davis & M. Hossain) P.H. Davis) growing in Turkey. A comprehensive phytochemical profiling of the different species was achieved by using an ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole time-of-flight (UHPLC-QTOF) mass spectrometry, targeting polyphenols and diterpene alkaloids. Also, the in vitro antioxidant assays (2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), 2,2′-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulphonic acid (ABTS), ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP), cupric reducing antioxidant capacity (CUPRAC), metal chelating and phosphomolybdenum) and enzyme inhibition (cholinesterases, tyrosinase, α-amylase, and α-glucosidase) potentials of the different Consolida methanolic extracts were evaluated. The UHPLC-QTOF profiling revealed 492 compounds, being 236 flavonoids, 93 phenolic acids, 78 tyrosol derivatives, 49 diterpene alkaloids, 29 lignans, and 7 stilbenes. The cumulative phenolic content ranged from 17.65 mg Eq./g for C. staminosa up to 43.04 mg Eq./g for C. glandulosa, whilst the total diterpene alkaloids content was exclusively found in C. glandulosa extracts (3.53 mg Eq./g). Consolida regalis (58. 61 mg trolox equivalent (TE)/g for DPPH and 65.38 mg TE/g for ABTS) and C. stenocarpa (46.81 mg TE/g for DPPH and 78.12 mg TE/g for ABTS) exhibited the highest anti-radical abilities, while the best reducing power values were recorded for C. glandulosa (129.46 mg TE/g for CUPRAC and 77.01 mg TE/g for FRAP) and C. raveyi (124.56 mg TE/g for CUPRAC and 78.36 mg TE/g for FRAP). Also, following the cholinesterases inhibition assays, C. hellospontica and C. glandulosa exhibited the highest inhibitory effects. Regarding tyrosinase inhibitory effects, C. raveyi showed the highest value, being 126.60 mg kojic acid equivalent (KAE)/g, followed by C. glandulosa (125.82 mg KAE/g) and C. stenocarpa (123.09 mg KAE/g). Besides, Consolida staminosa showed potential inhibition against α-amylase, but low glucosidase inhibitory properties. Therefore, the present findings could provide a starting point for further investigations to promote the industrial exploitation of these species with the aim of designing novel phyto-pharmaceuticals

Qualitative Fingerprint Analysis and Multidirectional Assessment of Different Crude Extracts and Essential Oil from Wild Artemisia santonicum L.

Artemisia species are used as folk medicines in several countries. This work was aimed to shed more light on the effect of methanol, water, ethyl acetate extracts, and essential oil (EO) of A. santonicum on selected enzymes (cholinesterase, tyrosinase α-amylase, and α-glucosidase) as well of their antioxidant and pharmacological effects. The chemical profile of the essential oil was determined using gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry (GC-MS) analysis, while the extracts were chemically characterized by high performance liquid chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS). Forty-nine constituents were identified and camphor (36.6%), 1,8-cineole (10.2%), α-thujone (10.1%), borneol (4.5%), and β-thujone (3.6%) were the major components. Overall, 45, 74, and 67 components were identified from the ethyl acetate, methanol, and water extracts, respectively. The EO and extracts showed significant antioxidant properties, in a cell-free model; particularly, methanol and water extracts revealed promising sources of antioxidant compounds. Additionally, we evaluated protective effects of EO and extracts in isolated rat colon tissue challenged with lipopolysaccharide (LPS), as an ex vivo model of colon inflammation, and human colon cancer HCT116 cell line. Particularly, we observed that, among all tested samples, A. santonicum ethyl acetate displayed the best pharmacological profile, being able to blunt LPS-induced levels of all tested biomarkers of inflammation and oxidative stress, including colon nitrites, lactate dehydrogenase, prostaglandin E2, and serotonin. Additionally, this extract was also able to reduce HCT116 cell viability, thus suggesting potential antiproliferative effects against colon cancer cells. Based on our results, A. santonicum has great potential for developing novel functional agents including pharmaceuticals, cosmeceuticals, and nutraceuticals

Network analysis, chemical characterization, antioxidant and enzyme inhibitory effects of foxglove (Digitalis cariensis Boiss. ex Jaub. & Spach): A novel raw material for pharmaceutical applications

The present study outlines the phenolic composition and pharmacological properties of different extracts of Digitalis cariensis Boiss. ex Jaub. & Spach root and aerial parts. The metabolic profiles of the studied extracts were characterized by UHPLC-MS. The in vitro antioxidant and enzyme (acetylcholinesterase (AChE), butyrylcholinesterase (BChE), tyrosinase, alpha-amylase, and alpha-glucosidase) inhibitory potential of the extracts were determined. Bioinformatics and docking investigations were also conducted to support the enzyme inhibition test and predict putative targets for potential pharmacological applications. Overall, the methanolic extract followed by the water extract of the D. cariensis root were found to be superior source of antioxidant compounds except for metal chelating ability, in which the water extract of the root (26.34 +/- 1.54 mg EDTAE/g) and aerial parts (16.47 +/- 0.88 mg EDTAE/g) have showed the highest activity. The tested extracts were potent against AChE (9.11 +/- 0.279.79 +/- 0.28 mg GEs/g extract), alpha-amylase (0.12 +/- 0.01- 0.50 +/- 0.01 mmol ACEs/g extract) and alpha-glucosidase (0.28 +/- 0.0117.29 +/- 0.24 mmol ACEs/g extract). Notable activity against tyrosinase was displayed by the methanolic extracts (Root-MeOH: 123.71 +/- 2.70 and aerial parts - MeOH: 137.96 +/- 1.07 mg KAE/g extract), while none of the extracts were potent against BChE. According to docking investigations, the observed anti-tyrosinase effect could be related, at least partially, to the presence of luteolin, rosmarinic acid and kaempferol in the extracts. Results amassed herein is the first report on the biological attributes of D. cariensis, which validate the pharmacological uses of this plant. (C) 2020 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved

New perspectives into the chemical characterization of Sida acuta Burm. f. extracts with respect to its anti-cancer, antioxidant and enzyme inhibitory effects

© 2021 Elsevier LtdThe chemical components, in vitro antioxidant capacities and enzyme inhibitory effects of dichloromethane (DCM), ethyl acetate (EA), methanol (MeOH) and water extracts of the medicinal plant, Sida acuta Burm. f. were evaluated. The individual phenolic components were assessed via ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography-high-resolution mass spectrometry (UHPLC-HRMS). In terms of chemical composition, phenolics (hydroxybenzoic and hydroxycinnamic acids) and flavonoids were identified as main groups. The antioxidant capacities were evaluated using a panoply of cell-free bioassays and the enzymatic inhibitory potentials against key enzymes involved in human diseases were also determined. The water extract exhibited the strongest scavenging abilities on DPPH (IC50: 1.05 mg/mL) and ABTS (IC50: 1.02 mg /mL). The best cholinesterase inhibitory abilities were observed with the methanol extract (IC50: 0.51 and 0.52 mg/mL for AChE and BChE, respectively), while DCM exhibited the strongest α-amylase (IC50: 1.21 mg/mL) and α-glucosidase (IC50: 0.62 mg/mL) inhibitory effects. The anti-cancer effects of methanol and water extracts were tested on human breast cancer cells, MDA-MB-231, and the methanol extract showed the best anti-cancer effect with an IC50 value of 102.4 μg/mL. In conclusion, the experimental data have demonstrated promising pharmacological activities of S. acuta extracts obtained using different solvents, thereby providing a scientific basis for the validation of the traditional medicinal uses of this plant

LC-MS/HRMS Analysis, Anti-Cancer, Anti-Enzymatic and Anti-Oxidant Effects of <i>Boerhavia diffusa</i> Extracts: A Potential Raw Material for Functional Applications

Boerhavia diffusa is a great tropical plant and is widely used for various traditional purposes. In the present study, we examined the influence of solvents (dichloromethane, ethyl acetate, methanol and infusion (water)) on chemical composition and biological capabilities of B. diffusa. An UHPLC-HRMS method was used to determine the chemical characterization. The biological ability was examined for antioxidant, enzyme inhibitory and anti-cancer effects. To evaluate antioxidant effects, different chemical methods (ABTS, DPPH, CUPRAC, FRAP, metal chelating and phosphomolybdenum) were applied. With regard to enzyme inhibitory properties, cholinesterases, amylase, glucosidase and tyrosinase were used. The MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cell line was chosen to determine anticancer activity. Based on the UHPLC-HRMS analysis, 37 specialized metabolites were dereplicated and identified in the studied extracts. Results revealed the presence of 15 hydroxybenzoic, hydroxycinnamic, acylquinic acids, and their glycosides, one rotenoid, seven flavonoids, 12 fatty acids and two other glycosides. Among the tested extracts, the methanol extract showed a stronger antioxidant ability compared with other extracts. The methanol extract also showed the best inhibitory effects on tyrosinase and glucosidase. In the anti-cancer evaluation, the methanol extract showed stronger anticancer effects compared with water extract. In summary, our observations can contribute to the establishment of B. diffusa as a potential candidate for functional applications in the preparation

Qualitative Phytochemical Fingerprint and Network Pharmacology Investigation of Achyranthes aspera Linn. Extracts

Achyranthes aspera Linn. (Amaranthaceae), commonly known as the Prickly Chaff flower, is used as herbal medicine in the Ivorian&rsquo;s culture, Africa. Nonetheless, there is currently a paucity of scientific information on A. aspera from the Ivory Coast. Herein, the antioxidant activity of A. aspera extracts (methanol, dichloromethane, ethyl acetate and infusion) as well as the enzymatic inhibitory potentials towards key enzymes in human diseases, namely Alzheimer&rsquo;s disease, (cholinesterases: AchE and BChE), type 2 diabetes (&alpha;-glucosidase and &alpha;-amylase) and hyperpigmentation (tyrosinase) were assessed. The total phenolic (TPC) and flavonoid (TFC) content was determined using colorimetric methods and the individual compounds were characterized using ultra-high performance liquid chromatography coupled with hybrid quadrupole-Orbitrap high resolution mass spectrometry (UHPLC-HRMS). Furthermore, a network pharmacology analysis was conducted to predict putative targets of identified phenolic compounds. The highest TPC was observed in the infused extract (28.86 &plusmn; 0.12 mg GAE/g), while the dichloromethane extract (38.48 &plusmn; 1.48 mg RE/g) showed the highest level of TFC. UHPLC-HRMS analysis has revealed an abundance of fatty acids, flavonoids, phenols and acylquinic acids. Among tested extracts, the infused extract displayed the highest free radical quenching, reducing and metal-chelating ability. The extracts (except infusion) were effective as enzyme inhibitors against AChE, while only methanolic and infused extracts showed noteworthy anti-BChE effects. The methanolic extract showed a remarkable antityrosinase effect (56.24 &plusmn; 5.05 mg KAE/g), as well. Modest to moderate inhibitory activity was observed against &alpha;-amylase (all extracts) and &alpha;-glucosidase (only dichloromethane extract). Finally, the network pharmacology analysis suggested the carbonic anhydrase II enzyme as a putative target for explaining, at least in part, the traditional use of A. aspera preparations as diuretic and blood clotting agent. Data amassed herein tend to validate the use of A. aspera in traditional medicine, as well as act as a stepping stone for further studies in the quest for novel phytopharmaceuticals. In this context, it is desirable that this study will contribute to the validation of the traditional uses of this plant in the African herbal medicine, and to the valorization of the whole chain production of A. aspera, as a local and sustainable botanical resource